Xochitl Novella, Part 1, 10,299 words
Since her departure from the property. Xochitl is once again on her own. This requires her character to have a voice and pacing of its own. Hers is different than the other writings, requiring a more first-person narrative. Towards that, she starts out as before. Roving from place to place, doing what she chooses to get by, along with a little mechanic work on the side.Phrasinigus System
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The payout was nice, but not obscene. I did not care about the best price, only a fair price. It had been a while since I last mined for anything, and I did not want the skill to atrophy, so away into the rings, I went. The typical pirates were not present to greet me, which was fortunate for them. My Krait Phantom is sufficiently kitted and engineered to deal with the more aggressive of their types … so much for their bounties.
The docking manager kept saying I should get a fleet carrier and not have a small train of modules following me around. Carriers are the going rage, but not ones I care for. My way is cheaper—for the work I do—and I don’t get stuck with any monthly salaries, other than my own; I’m cheap.
Three primary ships are all I really need. Shipping modules where they are needed is cost-effective and let’s be real. I can only use one of my ships at a time. Most of the modules are interchangeable between my Krait Phantom and Krait Mk II.
Sure there are a few notable differences, one being a fighter bay for the Mk II, that won’t fit on the Phantom, and the one extra hard point on the Mk II, that the other does not have, but everything else is a direct swap. The exception to this rule is my Diamondback Explorer; my true workhorse.
I kitted her out with a complete mobile mechanics shop and small parts printer. This is the ship most see me in. She has all the amenities plus the range, to take me wherever I want to go. Her only downside is outrunning Thargoid interceptors when I stray too close to their territories. Fortunately, I programmed an AI into the ship's central computer, and she is good about warning me when I stray too close. For the rare times I decided not to listen, the engineered heat sinks and field maintenance unit, aided with my departure.
Walking through the outpost, I checked out what they had available for visitors, which wasn’t much. Not that I was expecting anything grandiose out on the rim. It was nicer to know what they had in case something was ever needed while in their range.
Speaking of range, they needed to work on their reporting system; not that I was going to inform them. Their planetary settlement was listed as having no status, but it was crawling with bandits. Their bounties I did claim but would turn in elsewhere. Also grabbed some of their data during my visit. I knew of a few buyers who were offering generous credits for some of what they had; past tense.
Before departing I will buy myself a nice large meal and check their traffic, to see if there are any fat cargo ships full of rich minerals, that need a weight reduction.
Deep Space
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Nothing clears the mind like an EVA outside the ship while jetting around in deep space. Some maintenance is better done when gravity isn’t a concern. Disconnecting and cleaning the twin Imperial Hammer railguns is simple using this method.
Most don’t think about cleaning kinetic railguns. It’s just a hypervelocity magnetic cannon, right? Think about that for a moment. You have a high megawatt powered magnetic … exposed. Your firing up whatever it is, and pieces are flying all over the place. You think that is all good without realizing that some of those metallic shavings can and do become paramagnetic. This means they take on the properties of the magnetic field. These things get a little gunky over time and lose their effectiveness as a result.
Simple enough to jet out and give them a good wipe down. Check the connectors while you are out there, and tighten anything loose. Give the whole thing a good going over. Treat it as you would your multi-cannons. Give each rail the same attention you would each barrel. Don’t forget that sometimes it is a good idea with those rails—like the barrels—to replace them. They degrade over time, so fresh rails produce consistent results.
In the case of my rails, well I have both of mine modified as grade four lightweight plasma slugs, so I’m pushing a lot of superheated material out, at hyper velocities. When you are pushing out such materials it is always a good thing to check for rail discoloration. If you find any, it means you have been overheating your rails, and will need to check for any loose connections that may have occurred, and if the discoloration is heavy, go ahead and change the rails out.
Once I am done with the rails, I will move on to the large burst laser, then I will want a little gravity so I can drop my Scarab vehicle, and clean its plasma repeaters. Let me tell you how gunky those things can get!
Lunch and a show
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Eating a sandwich and watching the ships continue to visit the darkened settlement. The automated systems run on a different system than the base itself. Unfortunately, it is underground and sealed away, so there is no way to really take a base offline. Not that I would want to. More profit in a good and steady traffic flow.
Speaking of traffic flow, I can also see the pilot of the disabled ship, not far from me, hoping across the landscape towards the distant pad. I imagine they will be wanting a ride away from this place and report what has happened to them. They could do it easier if I wasn’t jamming their communications, but such is life.
It wouldn’t do good for their friends to show up and spoil my lunch. Especially after I took their cargo from them … which I need to thank them for. The gold I left on the ground, where it fell. Worthless metal for the sell prices the black market is offering. The tritium on the other hand I can sell direct to neighboring fleet carriers, for a decent price. The canister of coffee—that was in the mix—is a welcomed addition to my ship’s stores. Profit is measured in many ways.
That reminds me, I need to go by one of what I call, squirrel away locations. They are random systems and places where I store things. Being a roving mechanic, I run across deals all the time. Most I pass on, but ever so often a few make it into my collection. A collection of clutter that can be reduced in size.
First I will finish my snack and make sure that pilot makes his way safely to the settlement.
Secret Water Gardens
Beta-2 Tucanae
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Sometimes you have to pamper yourself, and this place was as nice as any. Besides, these more well-to-do spots, offer better prices when you want to sell something you worked hard for. In my case, it was three ships I wanted to sell. Each was claimed as salvage and rebuilt to be better than average. Complete with their histories and stamped Imperial and Federation certificates, they were each pristine.
A twenty-six million credit payday for an Imperial Eagle, Imperial Courier, and a Dolphin class ship, was a good day by anyone’s standard. For the rich business types fluttering around here, it was a bargain. They get a fast and capable ship, built stronger, faster, and better than the standard model, and they get the bragging rites that come with it. That is a win-win for everyone.
Yes, I said I only needed three ships, never said I did not have more than three. Out of all of my ships, if I had to choose only one, then the Imperial Cutter would be the choice. Sure it is limited to large pads, but it is a flying credit machine. Used correctly, all the others could be afforded, in short order.
What, you didn’t know you could make credits flipping ships? You can make a decent living but not obscene amounts doing whatever is the popular standard. It all depends on what your expectations are and managing those. Another reason why I don’t have a fleet carrier, nor want one. I won’t say never, but it isn’t on my scanner.
What is on my scanner are the figures for all the data and goods I have acquired. Figure thirty or forty million worth. On top of flipping those ships, plus bounties, plus cargo, plus a few miscellaneous here and there, looking at around one hundred million. If I did a little minor mining or a few well-paid passenger runs, I could bounce those numbers well beyond that.
For thirty thousand credits I can change a ship’s role and make millions of credits, then change it back at no cost, and double or triple that. Two of those Krait Phantoms as dedicated ships would run over 151 million credits. Now expand that figured out to seven different roles, and the price difference between simple modules or complete dedicated ships, plus their transporting fees, is as dramatic as it is nauseating.
Speaking of nausea. Some people, regardless of how many credits they have, should not wear bathing suits. Now I know why Thargoids howl the way they do. Even my cybernetics are twitching and flashing error codes.
Planet B 2
Kaan System
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Nothing better than a sound night's rest, to the sound of nitrogen, circulating through the system.
What mechanic worth their rate, doesn’t care for their own ride? I have lost count of the ships needing a flush and their commanders who didn’t realize its importance. Sure it can be argued that the rated lifespan of the system, especially the reactor, is larger than that of the ship. The question isn’t one of lifespan but of efficiency and range. Don’t recall ever hearing a complaint about having too much jump range.
The process is rather straightforward, requiring enough cargo space for the size of the system, and either a Scarab or Scorpion vehicle, for what we call its PTO, or power-takeoff generator for most. For my Diamondback Explorer, sixteen tons is more than is needed, but as the saying goes, it is better to have too much than not enough. Sixteen tons is a good amount for a medium-class ship and twenty-five or more tons, for a large.
The only commonality is in the purge gas requirements. Four tons of nitrogen is perfect for most, but you will need enough hydrogen to re-energize the system, which is why the cargo space requirement per ship size. Larger reactors and tanks, require more hydrogen to get them powered back on and to their nearest station or fuel star.
What I recommend is carrying enough empty tanks of your own, to fill with what is already in your tanks, and save yourself the added expense a station will charge you. The nitrogen you can either capture yourself or purchase. Being an inert gas, it is cheaper than hydrogen, and you won’t be keeping it, after the fact.
Simply fill your containers with the required amount, then run the tanks to less than a quarter of their capacity, before starting the process. Better to use it than lose it. Like the old saying ‘don’t forget your limpets,’ in this case ‘don’t forget your APU or auxiliary power unit.’ If you power down before starting your APU, you won’t have the power for the purge and might either freeze or fry, before you start. Best to start it up before landing, and let it run. It won’t hurt anything, and it will do it some good to get a little workout before the main task.
Find a nice planet and start the APU. Once landed, start up your SRV and connect the bypass line to its PTO. Now open your ship's hydrogen vent lines and tank dump, then power down your power plant. Once the hydrogen is out of the system, close the tank dump and connect the nitrogen to the fuel system. The SRV PTO will push it through the reactor and the plasma channels, giving them a good scrubbing, then exit out the opened vent lines.
The process will take about eight hours, under SRV power. Once it is done, close your vents, connect the hydrogen you stored earlier, and use the SRV to refill your tanks, and there you go. A whistle-clean system.
Jump Start
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It always surprises people how much you can fit into a simple Diamondback Explorer. It’s when you look at it from the front or the rear, that you see how wide she is. The cargo and vehicle bay combination is a particular work of art, allowing for automatic movement between the two, but it isn’t without its delicacies. The electromagnetism which handles the vehicle can interfere with certain cargo and for those moments, the manual reversion method has to be used. Old fashion hydraulics and rails. It would amaze you how many forget they have hydraulic lines running through, them that have to be pressurized to operate.
Found a nice Orca commander on the surface, with his crew, and not-too-pleased patrons, who were stranded when their vehicle lift developed a malfunction. He wanted to give them a ground volcanism tour, as part of their first-class package but did not expect anything to break. Honestly, how many do?
I gave his first officer a quick run-through of the system, which they had heard of, years ago, but never thought about until now. If a caution or fault light comes on, it is always a good thing to know what it is telling you. Especially if you have a responsibility aboard a ship– my thoughts on it. Most don’t, which I guess is alright. It provides mechanics with work.
Their customers were pleased to get back on board, and they were thankful enough to give me a little extra to add to my bank account. I did offer to build them a new part and install it, but they didn’t have the time to wait around for it.
Gamma
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The biggest threat in space isn’t a pirate but boredom. To counter that I like to mix things up, and sometimes spread the wealth. It has been a while since I last did any real trading missions, and any skill not used, atrophies.
Visiting one of my squirrel away locations, I pick up my Imperial Cutter, and set the automated systems to the tasking of rearranging a few of the modules, to take on extra cargo. Nothing grandiose, only 482 tons, which is a decent amount for her frame, but nowhere near her capabilities. I am not looking to break the commodities markets with her, but to make a few extra credits, and keep my skills sharp.
I keep a twin fighter bay module installed, for those how do you do moments with the pirates. I always look forward to those, and the more the merrier. With her shielding and the armaments installed, an experienced wing of pirates discover their error early on and depart. The more hungry types hang in there, and their bounties, and sometimes cargo, are added in addition to whatever it is I am hauling.
There is always a selection of opportunistic pilots hanging about, looking to hire on with whatever ship will take them. From the fresh out of the pilot’s school to the boastful semi-skilled. Their resumes are as unique as their backgrounds, and a commander would swear they were at a comedy club, after spending a day listening to them.
I look for a specific type, usually toward the lesser experience of the group. This gives them early big ship experience, plus it looks good on their resumes, if and when they move on. Their role is nothing more than a distraction with the remote ship-launched fighter, or SLF for short. I expect to lose them, which is why I have two bays worth, with eight in each.
Worst case scenario, I lose a few and the new pilot gets experience. The best case scenario is not losing any, and they still get experience. Either is alright by me, as we all get paid at the end of the day.
Today it is hauling Onion head—Gamma strain—to a system in the middle of a conflict. Most would be surprised how many combatants are hopped up on more than adrenaline, caffeine, and nicotine when rolling into the fire. The onion head is a little on the more colorful side, but not that uncommon. I have often wondered when encountering pilots on it, who was more in space. Their minds or the ship?
Company
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It was out of my norm, but both pilots looked like they needed the work. Their resumes were good, and both were personable. The female, Zooey Barton, had experience as a dock worker, before earning her license. Later she was a dredger pilot, then a brief stint on a commercial vessel. The male, Art Blair, was prior Federal Navy. Nothing fancy. Simple administrative type. He learned to fly after the service, hoping to land a commercial job. The system he was in went bust and he had to contract himself out. After a couple of those he discovered he enjoyed it. I am his third contract.
Both had basic experience in the Taipan fighter, but not much. I will give them both equal time behind its controls before the trading is done. I am more open than normal with my Onion head cargo purchases. This attracts the attention of those, who most want to avoid it. A few pirates on my route is a good thing. It will provide these kids with some experience, and a percentage of the bounty payouts. The extra credits will do them both good.
‘Look at those two,’ Art stated, nodding toward a couple of rough look characters. The man had a good eye. I had seen them earlier. Their types were who I was trying to attract, and it didn’t take long to get a couple of fish to bite.
‘Since you spotted them first, you will be my Taipan pilot on the trip out.’
I would let Zooey know once she was done with her task. She was busy insuring the manifest and the cargo matched one another.
Double-checking the navigation computer, I notice there are two uninhabited systems we would be passing through. Either one was a good place to be interdicted, so I would plan accordingly. The Cutter had the mass, speed, and firepower, to deal with anything they could throw our way. The only question I had was to dump their cargo or add it to my own.
It is a game I like to play with pirates. Most do not expect hatch breaker limpets heading to their cargo holds. It is fun to imagine what is going through the pilot’s mind as their cargo is released into space while attempting to shield their engines from being disabled. Another game I enjoy playing with them is disabling their ships first. If their bounty is sufficient I will take it, and if they get to their escape pods in time I will take and sell that too, on top of the bounty payout.
The worst of the worst it depends. If near the Empire I will sell them, so they can spend time in a mine somewhere. If nearer to Thargoid space, I will dive in there. The bugs are aggressive and it does not take long for one or more to find me. They can’t catch me, but I do give them a free escape pod for their trouble. The best part of the arrangement is I still get the bounty either way.
Differences
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The Cutter’s floodlights illuminated the disabled and drifting pirate Anaconda.
‘I’m not familiar with the tactics you used,’ Art said, removing the virtual reality visor, used for controlling the Taipan fighter.
‘That was different.’ Zooey commented, leaning back in her chair.
‘They were expecting the usual jousting fight, which is the norm for most space combat. There are rules to the exception. Keeping them at a distance, where their weapons damage fall-off rate is at its greatest, yet keeps them hopeful, is where I like to position. Not that I am against jousting. It does not provide the results I desire.’
‘Spilling their cargo was an interesting tactic. I had to dodge several canisters. It is spread out more than a hundred kilometers.’ Art said as he checked the fighter hangar screen on his display.
‘It’s worthless but their bounty is more than a million.’ I commented, checking our next waypoint on the navigation screen.
Zooey smiled, looking at the ship in front of us. ‘But not for a dredging crew. Want me to notify the station we left?’
I shrugged. ‘Sure. Let’s finish off their ship and see if any want to jump into an escape pod, first.’
Activating the communications screen, I typed out a simple message to the pirate Anaconda.
I will destroy your ship in less than a minute. If you want to live, get in your escape pod.
Only one of their crew jettisoned themselves when the ship exploded.
By the end of the first day, we had hauled ten full loads plus the addition of several bounties, along with selling a few of the pirate escape pods, we managed to take. Overall a profitable experience for my crew, with a promise of more to follow.
Settling In
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Both Art and Zooey were surprised by the ship change. The quarters on the Krait Phantom were on par with those they had aboard the Imperial Cutter, though both ship classes were a first for the duo. Xochitl enjoyed a small bit of humor in both their expressions and confusion.
‘Both of you contracted for the trading mission. You each have made good credits from the experience. If you want to renew for the next event, then get settled in and meet me on the bridge. If you want to continue on, with another crew, then I wish you success.’
Art fiddled with his pack. ‘Depends. What’s the next mission?’
‘Roving core mining. No surface, sub-surface, or point-to-point. I will be moving fast. I have a wide selection of locations, and I look for the best deals near a few of them. Once I find what I am looking for, I go in quick, take out a few pirates, blast a few rocks, load up, sell, then move on to another location. Best to give a little and get a lot, then move on.’
‘I’m in,’ Zooey said, as she studied the ship.
Art took a few minutes, to think about it. ‘Any fighter work?’
‘No fighter bays on a Krait Phantom. You do get a chance to pilot the ship, in the tight confines of planetary rings, and learn about this form of mining. The good news is, the credits are better and there are always pirates around.’
Art hesitated, looking around with a nervous expression. ‘I don’t have any experience or knowledge of this ship class or mining.’
‘Don’t worry. Neither of your resumes included mining experience. If you stick around, you will learn a few tricks of the trade.’
Art nodded in confirmation. ‘I’m game but I have a question. Why take two untrained contractors, who have no experience but will still take a percentage of the profit?’
Xochitl chuckled. ‘A lesson I learned from others. They called it an investment into the future versus a future investment. I did not understand the difference between the two until I saw it.’
‘It will pay off,’ Zooey said with a quirky smile.
Art crossed his arms, glancing at Zooey. ‘Anything we need to do before we depart?’
‘I have some basic maintenance and housekeeping to complete while you two get settled in. Then we can get some rest and start fresh, next cycle.’
Expectations
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Zooey and I sat in the upper deck crew lounge, as Art walked in, after changing into a fresh flight suit. The flight assist off boosting maneuvering I had put the Phantom through while chasing down a group of pirates, did not go well with him.
‘You look better,’ Zooey commented, as I sipped on a cup of coffee.
‘I expected to be interdicted, on the way to the station. The maneuvers caught me off, guard.’ Art commented while taking a seat. ‘Next time I won’t be caught by surprise.’
I looked at him over the rim of my mug, seeking to put it behind him. ‘It happens to everyone, at some point.’
Art rose an eyebrow at that, looking straight at me. ‘Even someone like you?’
I knew what he was referring to and that he meant no disrespect in it.
‘My guts are still human… mostly.’
Zooey placed a hand on the table. ‘Are we headed back out once we unload?’
I knew this was their first mining experience, and waited until the final payment arrived for the minerals in our hold.
‘I plan on refitting, getting a good meal, and a proper rest, before going out for another round.’
Characteristically Art rose his eyebrow again. ‘Most mining types I’ve seen, couldn’t wait to get out and plunder as much as they good, as fast as possible.’
‘Depends on your expectations. Mine is one of managed cultivation. The types you refer to are those seeking rapid wealth, and prestige, and to strip the rings, without thought, care, or concern. As long as they get theirs and can strut.’
Art leaned forward. ‘Sounds like you hate those types?’
I sipped my cup to keep from chuckling. ‘No, I do not hate them, but their greed is nauseating.’
‘What of us?’
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. ‘If you are asking if we are going to strip the rings, the answer is no. The rings you saw earlier, you won’t see again on the next trip. We will not be returning to this station we are docked at.’
Zooey tilted her head. ‘Where are we going?’
Setting my cup down, I looked between the pair. ‘As I said before, and as you may have noticed, I move fast. It takes time for new mineral deposits to populate in the rings, and I want to cultivate that. Going back and forth to the same rings is counterproductive to that. Having a healthy selection of places to go, and being watchful of the ring's density and market pricing, is advantageous.’
Art leaned back in his chair. ‘This market has good pricing.’
That gave me a smile. ‘Yes, for this sale. We beat the strip mining groups here. What will those prices be, once they learn? On our next trip out, remind me to bring up this station’s pricing index, and you will see for yourself, what I am talking about. What we are about to receive, will be beyond what will be offered if we make a second trip.’
‘Alright then, how are we going to stay ahead of them?’
‘In time you will learn to read and anticipate the market trends before they are listed on the main sites. Once you get the pulse of a region, you can be first in, to sell your haul, before the hordes arrive to decimate it.’
My tablet chimed, as I picked it out of my suit's side pocket, and raised it up to look at it. Content that the pricing was fair, I set it on the table, as Zooey and Art leaned over to look at it.
‘We were only out there for an hour!’ Zooey exclaimed.
Art shook his head. ‘Damn. That’s just under eighty million credits.’
Smiling, I reached over and tabbed to a screen, showing the updated listing of hot spots. ‘Yes, but it won’t be there on the next run. Look, it is already listed. Hordes of ships are preparing to head out there now, to strip it down.’
Art narrowed his eyes as he leaned back. ‘That pisses me off.’
I laughed
Watchful
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After days of mining, the ship needed a good cleaning before Xochitl changed missions. During that time Art and Zooey both learned to fly and work the Phantom class ship. Dodging rocks in darkened planetary rings, using only the pulse wave scanner to see, worked wonders for teaching– along with tightening the trainee's sphincter.
Xochtil spent a relativistic day flying to a remote planetary settlement, where she kept another ship, plus the equipment she required to prepare the Phantom for further transport and storage. Zooey took particular interest in the manner in which Xochitl went about her business, and her thought processes in finding the rings and stations they had visited.
Art had enjoyed the work and had learned a healthy amount during his time, but he enjoyed his mandatory personal time, with equal zeal. The ship’s gym was getting as much of a workout as he was getting from it– as was the galley. He was particular in the manner in which he made his meals, measuring with a trained eye the exact portions and nutritional content, of each meal he made for himself.
It was late in the evening when Xochitl landed at the remote settlement. Both of her contractors were resting or gave the appearance of, as she departed the ship to greet the waiting dock worker. Her cybernetic eye caught the figure attempting to hide their presence, watching from above through one of the ship’s observation windows.
Numerous robots and androids made their way up to the ship, beginning the refurbishment process. They watched Xochitl and the dock worker conversing for several minutes, before both of them nodded in apparent agreement, before walking off together, disappearing from view, toward the rear of the ship.
The side wall of the hangar began to move, exposing a larger complex, and a second ship sitting nearby. It was immediately recognized as a Krait Mk II class ship. The same framing as the Phantom, but a variation that was more robust, with greater firepower and armor. They knew both were excellent multipurpose ships, as a tablet appeared with a communications screen showing.
A smirk appeared on Xochitl’s face, as she waited in front of the settlement’s automated trolley transport bay.
Reconnect
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Yatziri Mosley was an old whiskey runner from New Caledonia, who ran afoul of a Federation patrol and spent the next six months in an intensive care ward. It was there that she met a new cybernetic lady, who was still in their lengthy recovery while learning what it meant to be both human and machine.
The physical therapy that they both endured forged a strong bond between them. Each encouraging and consoling the other, while they underwent the nightmarish painful process of rebuilding what they could of their mutual bodies.
Yatziri did not escape her process without partaking in artificial parts, though not to the extent of her friend in the bay next to her. Both had new arms, which could crush a skull, but she did not require the brutal cranial modifications and neurological implants of the other.
Once Yatziri’s condition was acceptable to the authorities, she was released into their custody. Due to the nature of her crime and the extent of the damages done, her sentence was reduced to time served, along with a modest fine. Once she was released, she returned to the medical facility to find that her friend had been transferred to another location, for further modifications and recovery. One of the nurses, who knew of their bonding, silently provided her the information.
Time and distance kept them busy with their own affairs, yet neither failed to stay in touch with the other. Yatziri found the tales of the soldier and the kid, to be particularly fascinating, as did the stories of her and another cyborg, neuro-linking with one another, sharing their lives and thoughts on a level that no other human could.
Learning that there was a potential issue, was the perfect excuse for her to fly her way across the bubble, and reconnect with her old friend.
As the trolley doors opened, she could not miss her friend, even in the densest of crowds. The soft glow of the cybernetic eye locked onto her, as Yatziri stepped out, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
‘Hear there is a cyborg around these parts, who needs a smuggler’s wit?’
Cleaning
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Art stood in front of the entrance ramp to the Krait Mk II, with his travel bag on his back, as Zooey walked up. ‘Three ships in as many days. Makes it hard to be stable.’ Zooey complained.
Art watched the automated systems, finishing their loading and maintenance operations, further aft of the ramp. ‘This type of life has its benefits too.’
‘You mean as a roving independent mechanic?’ Zooey asked.
Art shrugged. ‘Everyone has their thing. Never bothered to ask.’
‘There she is,’ Zooey exclaimed, watching as a hazmat-suited Xochitl and another person walked toward the Krait Phantom, with a trail of robotic dollies, hauling colored tanks, and a lift followed.
Xochitl paused to yell across the hangar toward them, while the robots maneuvered themselves into position.
‘The layout is basically the same inside. Go ahead and store your gear, and enjoy some paid downtime, while I clean up this ship, from our last adventure.’
‘Mind if I suit up and join you?’ Zooey yelled back.
‘Go ahead,’ she yelled back, as Art ascended the ramp into the Mk II.
‘Is that the one?’ Yatziri asked, looking at Xochitl, who nodded.
Xochitl activated the magnetic clamps, connecting the first hose to the front port intake, as the lift bot moved, positioning her in front of the starboard intake, where she connected a second hose. Motioning with her hand, the lift lowered her back to the hangar floor, where she walked over to a diagnostic port, located the front landing gear housing, where she connected herself to the ship.
‘Stand back,’ Yatziri warned the approaching Zooey, as the Phantom’s vent lines opened.
Zooey flinched as the pumps pushed the gas under pressure, into the intakes, where they went through the system and ejected out of the vent lines, with a loud bang and hiss.
Two vacuum bots raced around, under the ship, gathering up the super-critical liquid, as it sprayed out.
‘What the hell!’ Zooey exclaimed, as the process finished.
Yatziri studied Zooey. ‘Supercritical carbon dioxide is an excellent cleaner.’
The androids accompanying the bots, changed the hose to a second bot-towed tank, as Zooey flinched again as a second loud bang announced the next process, as gas vented from the Phantom.
Yatziri maintained her lack of expression. ‘Inert Nitrogen gas.’
‘What is this for?’ Zooey yelled, as the process finished.
‘You must have been mining.’
Zooey looked at Yatziri. ‘You work for the station?’
Yatziri did not answer, as she walked over to the android, as the magnetic clamps released from the front of the Phantom, dropping the hoses to the hangar floor.
‘Enjoy the cleaning?’ Xochitl asked surprising and startling Zooey for a third time.
‘What is it for?’
‘You can pick up all kinds of little mineral deposits in the planetary rings. Over time it will build up and cost you more in repairs. Easier to save yourself the credits later on, and get it out as soon as possible.’
‘The cleaning cost you less?’
‘Normally I would do it with my own equipment, away from a station, but I am on a time schedule. Here it is cheap to rent the equipment. What I use to flush it with, I pick up and process myself from planetary volcanism sites.’
Zooey’s eyes widened.
Midway across the hangar, Yatziri helped the android coil and stow the hoses- casting a glance across the open expanse.
Cautionary tales
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I watched as Zooey and Art strolled into the crew lounge, settling into their respective seats. I addressed them both in a casual tone, 'To keep things simple, I'll make it open-ended. You've already fulfilled your initial contracts and been compensated fairly. If you want to stick around for more adventure, great. If not, I understand.'
Zooey's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she declared, 'I'm in!'
Art, ever the skeptic, asked, 'What exactly are we getting into this time?'
I grinned, reading the micro-expressions on his face. 'It's a multi-functional mission. We'll be doing some trading, raiding, scavenging, and collecting. A little bit of everything to keep us on our toes. It may not be as profitable as mining, but you'll gain valuable knowledge and skills.'
Art's face brightened as he spotted a nutritional package. 'You always have the best gear. I saw that you have a Scarab all-terrain vehicle, a Taipan fighter bay, an operational limpet controller, plenty of cargo space, heavy weaponry, and a separate hold full of mechanical and processing equipment.'
I nodded, pleased with his observations. 'Yes, and we have a new crew member joining us. She's a specialist and a mechanic herself, and she's getting our equipment ready for the journey.'
Zooey looked puzzled. 'Why do we need two mechanics?'
I leaned back in my chair and met Art's gaze. 'We've come this far together. Let's see where this adventure takes us. Count me in.'
As the others left the room, Yatziri sat in the Scarab vehicle, monitoring and recording the media feed from the crew lounge. Her sharp eyes noticed a potential problem that I had missed.
Enthusiasm could be misinterpreted by others, and be a point of vulnerability. Yatziri knew from experience that some people used deception to get closer to their goals.
'It may be nothing,' Yatziri thought, 'but my instincts are telling me otherwise.'
Later, Xochitl and Yatziri met in the cargo hold, where Yatziri had been reviewing the equipment and supplies for the upcoming mission. Xochitl approached her, curious about the potential problem Yatziri had mentioned earlier.
'Yatziri, what did you mean earlier about enthusiasm being a vulnerability?'
Yatziri paused for a moment, thinking carefully about how to explain. 'Well, sometimes people can use enthusiasm as a way to get closer to their goals. They might pretend to be interested in something or someone just to gain access to information or resources. It's a tactic that has been used throughout history.'
Xochitl nodded, understanding the concept. 'I see. So you think someone might try to deceive us by pretending to be enthusiastic about the mission?'
'It's possible,' Yatziri confirmed. 'I'm not saying it's definitely happening, but it's something you've already noticed and we need to be aware of. You should be cautious.'
New Opportunities
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As I watched Art expertly control the Krait, following Zooey's Taipan fighter, I couldn't help but feel impressed. Meanwhile, my task was to keep in touch with Yatziri in the Scarab below and scout for nearby volcanic vents and fumaroles that she could investigate.
'I'm tempted to offer you a pay raise to take on an additional role on our journey, given your healthy habits. Would you be interested?' I asked Art.
He observed the fighter's movements, deftly adjusting the Krait's position to mimic its path. 'What do you have in mind?' he replied.
'I've been impressed by your workout and eating routines. It's challenging to focus on self-care when there's so much else to worry about out here. How about a promotion to ship's fitness coach and a nutritionist?' I proposed.
Art smirked at me, and I knew what he was thinking. 'I'm not sure my habits would be helpful to you. I can work with Zooey, but I don't know the other person. Their elusiveness makes me feel like I'm not valuing my personal time and privacy enough. Can you tell me more about them?' he asked.
I inwardly smiled. 'Well, she's a woman who values her privacy, as you've noticed. She's highly skilled in her field, and I've worked with her before. She's an asset to our team, but there are a few idiosyncrasies you'll need to adapt to. Nevertheless, I believe you two would work well together.'
Art raised an eyebrow as he watched Zooey's Taipan fighter cresting a nearby ridge near a group of visible and active volcanic spouts. 'Sure, why not? Have her meet me in the ship's gym once our day is done. I'll assess her and create a personalized workout and nutrition plan,' he said.
I chuckled. 'I knew you wouldn't be able to resist such an opportunity. I'm surprised you're not working at a tourism facility, exploiting wealthy clients, and making a name for yourself.'
Art laughed. 'I considered something similar, but I was more drawn to learning how to fly, joining a trading crew, and working my way up to owning my own ship. Blame it on my background as a logistical and administrative desk jockey during my time in the Federal Navy. The stars above and the desire to keep moving were too enticing to pass up.'
As I turned my attention back to Yatziri in the Scarab below, who was climbing up the mountainside to our new location, I couldn't help but smile.
The Taipan fighter pilot's challenge was not being in the fighter itself but sitting in the host ship, connected virtually. They could be maneuvering one way while the host they were in was doing something completely different. The sensations of competing forces required experience to get used to, especially when the ship they were in practice combat against was the host ship itself.
Yatziri smiled as she watched the dueling pair from the safety of the Scarab below. She knew too well what Zooey was going through, as I took control of the Krait from Art, pushing it beyond what either of our crew was used to.
Art grunted against the forces with teeth bared. 'You won't get me this time,' he growled at me, as I twirled the ship, boosting its engines against its direction of travel, forcing crushing forces onto both Zooey and Art, watching them both slip into temporary unconsciousness.
Thumbing a button on the control stick, the Taipan fighter disconnected from Zooey, reverting to a set of hard-coded commands. The one I activated was the automated docking sequence, as Zooey’s helmeted head bobbed slowly.
‘Ok … you got me,’ Art said weakly, as his eyes fluttered open with regained consciousness.
‘Check on Zooey,’ I commanded, as I hovered the Krait, allowing the Taipan fighter to dock.
Art unbuckled from his seat, crossed the bridge, and removed the helmet from Zooey, whose eyes were fluttering.
‘She’s alright, but is going to need a moment to recover.’
I nodded, knowing that Art’s condition allowed him to sustain more force and recover quicker from its harshest effects.
‘I will keep it gentle. Once the fighter’s onboard we will land and pick up Yatziri.’
‘What the hell happened!’ Zooey exclaimed, suddenly regaining consciousness.
‘We G locked,’ Art said, as Zooey attempted to focus on him … ‘What?’
‘Remember your flight training? Gravity-induced loss of consciousness. Get your bearings, we will be landing shortly.’
Zooey blinked several times, smacking her lips. ‘Sorry about the fighter.’
I smiled as I settled the Krait onto the planet’s surface, where Yatziri was positioned in the Scarab.
‘Already docked. We are landing, then will stay here for a while. Art has something for you later if you are up to it.’
Zooey looked at Art, who patted her on the shoulder. ‘We will talk about it later.’
Round Abouts
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I woke up before the rest of my crew, knowing that we were about to enter a dangerous part of space. The anarchic region was filled with pirate settlements, and while their bounties had some value, their goods held much more. I chuckled to myself, thinking about the decent collection of parts I could scavenge.
As I sat on the bridge, Yatziri walked in and took a seat behind me. 'First pirate settlement raid of the day,' I announced.
Yatziri looked down at the ship's status panel and chuckled. 'Not inviting the rest of the crew?'
'Art and Zooey should be here any moment,' I replied.
Yatziri gave me a questioning look. 'Either of them have experience with this sort of thing?'
'Nothing in either of their resumes, but they are about to learn,' I said confidently.
Yatziri gave a hearty laugh as Art made his way to the bridge, taking a seat opposite Yatziri, and donning the Taipan fighter virtual control helmet. 'I'm strapped in and connected. Let me know when you want me to launch.'
Zooey was the last to arrive, and I could tell she was nervous. 'Where do you need me?' she asked.
'Art, launch the Taipan and orbit just outside of three kilometers. Zooey, once I depart the ship, I will need you to take Yatziri’s seat and be prepared to work the cargo loading system. Yatziri will have the helm.'
'What’s the mission?' Zooey asked, grabbing a handle on the roof of the bridge to help her keep her balance as I brought the ship into orbit around a planet.
'This is a snatch-and-grab mission. I am going to raid a pirate settlement below, take out its defenders, get their bounties, and grab whatever is valuable for us.'
Zooey looked nervous. 'I don’t have any ground combat training.'
'You’re on cargo controls, you don’t need any,' Yatziri stated with a flat tone.
***
Later that evening we congregated in the crew lounge.
I was pleased with the subjective day's haul. The hold held several occupied escape pods, with their pirate occupants in a hibernation state. We had added several tons of Tritium and Low-temperature diamonds to our number, along with a healthy collection of various goods, assets, and data retrieved from their central computer.
Art busied himself, making everyone a nutritionally balanced meal, while I sat with a list of the day's take, calculating its current worth based on the galactic averages and current buy and sell orders placed by various organizations.
Yatziri sat in silence, a pleasant little smirk on her face, as Zooey continually shifted herself in her seat. She was afraid, no, terrified. What she had seen throughout the day had her questioning who she had hired on with, and if there was a way of surviving.
‘Meals are ready,’ Art announced, as he began setting trays of prepared meals in front of each person. ‘I have designed each for the individual.’ He winked at me as he set his tray in front of me. ‘Even you made the menu list tonight. With all of the energy expended, your biological systems could use a little extra to support the cybernetic workout.’
Zooey stared at her plate, not really feeling like eating. Yatziri staring at her did not help.
‘Listen, kid, you don’t need to be a fighter to work here. Just do your job, gain experience, you get paid for all of it, and everything turns out well in the end.’
Zooey picked at her plate. ‘She took down six whole pirate settlements, in a day's time, and hardly ever used a weapon.’
‘Yes, and none of them were innocent. If you want, we can wake one of those in the escape pods and you can hear for yourself. I would rather keep them as they are now and think of how many innocent people will be spared because they are no longer a threat.’
Zooey could not look up from her plate. ‘I am sorry. I have never seen anything like this before.’
Yatziri shook her head. ‘Look, kid. This is really simple. She took down a lot of bad people, and everyone is going to profit from it. With their bounties and booty, we cleared—‘
‘Close to fifty million in bounties and booty, not counting a few other little trinkets we could sell off,’ I interjected taking a bite of food.
Yatziri chuckled. ‘So at a standard newbie rate of 2%, you cleared a million credits manipulating a cargo hoist today. There is no one anywhere near here, making that kind of money. Your hands are clean, but you don’t feel that way, and you need to ask yourself why.’
‘Damn,’ Art exclaimed. ‘At that kind of earnings rate, it wouldn’t take long for me to earn enough to buy my own cargo ship, and get into operation.’
‘That’s the spirit,’ Yatziri said, flashing a knowing smile as Zooey walked out of the lounge, leaving her food untouched.
Art sat down, looking at Yatziri. She shook her head in a nonverbal manner to not follow. She knew that Zooey needed to work out things for herself.
***
Zooey sat down in her quarters and gazed out the porthole at the asteroids slowly rolling by. She reflected on how she had struggled for years to afford flying lessons and earn her rating from the Pilot's Federation. The system she was in was poor and had only a small outpost, which did not attract large wealthy trade ships. Instead, most of the ships that came by were small and had lower experience.
However, this did provide plenty of work for dredger crews. For the first few years, that was all Zooey knew. But by dodging debris and junk, she honed her ship control skills, which proved useful when she was offered a job on a larger cargo ship crew. However, leaving her backwater system and the life she had there came at a price.
As she watched two rocks slowly collide with each other outside her window, Zooey contemplated her current situation. The two sources of gravity rolling toward each other and her in the middle made her realize that she owed her escape from a nowhere life and the potential for future growth to one source. But now she was starting to see the danger both sources posed.
Zooey laid back on her bunk, conflicted, as exhaustion took her.
***
She awoke to find the porthole in her room filled with the image of another ship. She felt a pang of anxiety, realizing that no one had informed her of the incoming docking.
For a moment, she entertained the thought that it might be a pirate vessel that had boarded them and that her crewmates were already taken captive.
Her mind raced as she retrieved her service pistol from her suit bag. Her Maverick suit was a basic Level 1 model she had purchased during a sale over a year ago. She had only worn it once, and that was to test its jumping thrusters. After crashing into a wall, she quickly realized that she didn't know how to control the thrusters, but was able to maneuver the suit itself.
Her pistol was a simple P-15 ballistic model, unmodified and only effective against individuals not wearing suits. If they had been boarded by pirates, the intruders would likely be wearing modified Maverick suits or Dominator combat suits, rendering her pistol almost useless.
Despite the odds stacked against her, she knew she couldn't surrender. There was no one to pay a bounty for her release, and she refused to face the grim fate that awaited her. She unfolded her Maverick suit and began to squeeze herself into it, activating its systems as quickly as she could.
Though she may not stand a chance against hardened, well-suited pirates, she wasn't going to give up without a fight.
She paused with her weapon at the ready, mentally going over the ship's internal layout. She was on C deck. The third of four levels, with A level being the hangar and D being a small access passageway, to a few of the ship's systems.
Anyone on board after anything of value would be on either B or A decks below her. There were two sets of stairs on her level, one being just outside the door of her room.
She breathed heavily several times before activated pressing the switch which caused her room’s door to slide open. Weapon at the ready she scanned the passage, seeing no one. The crew lounge was opposite her room as she made her way toward Art’s room on the opposite side. It too was empty. She turned with purpose moving after through the sharply angled passageway, clearing each room along the way.
Confident that no one was on C deck, she made her way back to the stairs. She focused to keep her pistol pointed forward, even as her hand shook with adrenaline and fear. Wide-eyed she made her way down the stairs cautiously. The captain’s door was to her right, but it required a code to open.
A door behind her opened, and she panicked. 'Shit!' she exclaimed as she spun around in excitement, accidentally activating her suit's basic energy shield and jump thrusters. She careened backward, bouncing off the bulkhead, as Art appeared behind her, stunned by the sudden spectacle.
'What the hell are you doing?' he demanded.
Zooey was dazed by the impact but otherwise unharmed, as Art walked up to her.
‘Is this a new exercise you are trying to show me or were you going for a space walk?’
Zooey blinked several times, as Art reached down and picked up her pistol, which she had dropped during the impact. ‘What is this for?’
‘I woke up and saw we were attached to another ship and I thought the pirates had found and boarded us.’ She said, as she sat up and realized her suit's shield was activated.
‘Don’t you think that an alarm and a space battle would have woken you up first?’
Art helped her stand up. ‘Hell, I don’t know. I’m not used to this. I’m a dredger pilot who did a few tours with a cargo ship.’
Art laughed. ‘Well I can tell you, by what I’ve seen of Xochitl and Yatziri, there would be a fight before we were boarded by anyone.’
Zooey felt silly as she started removing herself from the suit. ‘Why are we connected to another ship?’
Art helped her out of the suit. ‘We received a distress call that was classified as having no threat level. Xochitl decided to investigate and we found these explorer types drifting around. Their power plant was locked in low power mode as their heat radiators were clogged with space dust.’
Zooey looked down at her Maverick suit. ‘I was so certain that the pirates had come looking for us that I forget she was a roving mechanic.’
Art shrugged, reaching down to pick up her suit. ‘I don’t know much about that, but if you grab the other end, I can help you take this back to your quarters.’
She wasn’t going to complain about the offer. The suit would be troublesome to drag up the stairs by herself unless she was wearing it. Besides, she knew it would be better for her to not be seen dragging it around if Xochitl or Yatziri returned. The embarrassment of her action was more than she could bare at the moment.
Once the suit was stored, Art motioned her to the crew lounge. ‘You missed your meal last night. Come on. I’ll make you a quick nutrient shake and give you a chance to calm down.’
Zooey’s mind had been in such a jumble that she had forgotten she had not eaten last night. As soon as Art mentioned it, her stomach growled, reminding her. ‘Sounds good.’
Right click and open image in new tab for larger version.
blueprint by Veljko Vidičh
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Path
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I had to recharge my suit's power several times, to keep its maneuvering thrusters working with enough efficiency to counter the force of the sCo2 and alkaline sodium silicate I was spraying to clean out the heat radiators of the stranded explorer ship.
After each radiator was cleaned, I would go back to the cargo hold of my ship to recharge my suit, and change tanks, then fly back out and give their heat radiators another good hosing with sodium silicate I had synthesized from the samples collected from silicate vapors at volcanism sites. This would provide it with an additional cleaning plus a good ultraviolet protective coating until they could dock at a proper station and have their craft fixed and its paint job brought up to specs.
Yatziri was working on their intake vents and communications array. It was clear that their ship was in a state of disrepair. I briefly thought about asking them to suit up and help with the repairs, but their wide-eyed look told me that it would have been too much for them.
Overall it did not matter, and they could count themselves fortunate for most would not have assisted them. Most would have passed them by, leaving them to limp along toward whatever fates awaited. The local pirates, of which there were fewer now, would have picked their ship clean for everything of worth, then sold them to the local slave markets.
These explorers would make it, with the wealth of information they had gathered in their ship's data banks, to their destination, to deposit this knowledge for the betterment of all. They would be paid handsomely for their discoveries, while our discovery of them, would garnish a paltry sum. Not that credits were my reasoning for rendering aid. It was the right thing to do, and besides, one never knew what the future might hold. Perhaps one day I would need the help of someone I had aided before?
The explorers thanked us for our help, as I coiled the hoses, returning them to my ship’s cargo hold, and securing them next to the partially depleted service tanks. At a near future point, I would need to find appropriate volcanism sites, and recharge what I had expended.
***
Art signaled he prepared the evening's meal, appropriate in proportions to what we had expended our day's work. Zooey had returned and was seated in the crew lounge, studying a sales brochure on her tablet, with a partially eaten plate of food in front of her.
‘You know Art, from this listing, you have enough now to buy a basic Type 6 cargo ship.’
Yatziri flashed a knowing look toward me, as she took her seat. ‘It’s good to see a person with goals.’
He was turning out to be a good contractor, and if he stuck around long enough I would help him realize his goal of owning his own cargo ship, but not a paltry little type 6 transport. No, this kid needed something he could expand and grow with.
I took a seat as Art set a plate of food in front of each of us, giving Yatziri and me a sly wink. ‘Something special for my cyborg captain and crew mate.’
It smelled wonderful as I took a bite. It tasted wonderful too.
After her first taste, Yatziri dived into her plate, eating like a person who was starving. ‘Art, you’ve missed your calling being out here with us. You should have been a chef at a rich tourist resort, or one of those pristine Imperial stations.’
She wasn’t wrong about his skills. ‘Thinking about leaving us soon?’ I asked Art, knowing he didn’t yet have enough to both buy and outfit a proper cargo ship.
Art looked at me with a questioning expression, as he sat at the table to eat his food. ‘Is there a problem with a type 6?’
‘For your long-term goals, you could do better.’
Art chewed on his food, contemplating. ‘It would take a long time before I could afford a Python or larger.’
Yatziri and I shared a thoughtful look between us, as I turned my attention back to Art.
‘The Python is the pinnacle of the medium pad heavy haul ships, but for you, a fully rated and engineered Krait Phantom is the perfect ship. I can outline one that can haul the cargo you desire, plus mine, and defend itself while supporting its own refueling requirements to extend your range.’
Art motioned with his fork. ‘That’s going to take a lot of credits.’
‘Nonsense. When you are there, I can help you with finagling pricing, and I figure we can get you out in space for under 94 million. A few mining trips and you will make that back in short order.’
Yatziri leaned forward on the table. ‘Teach him how to take care of it himself, and he can keep most of his profit.’
I laughed. ‘You trying to put my kind out of a job?’
Zooey looked at each of us. ‘How long to get him there, doing what we are doing now?’
Yatziri and I looked at one another before I turned to look back at an attentive Art.
‘Your choice. We can do it quickly, and you will be flying with little experience, or we can do it the right way, and you will know more than the average commander.’
Art ate his meal, though his thoughts were weighing the options.